A Squirrel Picnic Story with Crochet Patterns and Projects

Tag Archives: CAL

Way back in April, I mentioned 3 options for crocheting your pillow back: use the Pillow Front pattern to crochet the back as well or use the Pillow Back pattern to crochet a plain back or one in many colors. If you decide to use the Pillow Front, go on ahead. You know what to do. 🙂

There are several ways to use the Pillow Back pattern to achieve a unique look. Use 1 color, use 2 or 3 or 4 or more. Lay them out in any pattern you like. Here are just a few ideas:

Crochet each round a different color, working in the same sequence or mixing it up. For my back (in the photo at right), I used 5 colors in alternating stripes. Each sequence is varied only slightly (some go blue, pink, purple, green, yellow and some go blue, purple, pink, yellow, green).

Crochet blocks of color. Work 1 round in one color, then work the next 2 rounds in a different color.

Crochet blocks of color that get wider as you work outward. This might look something like this:Rnd 1: With A Rnds 9-12: With BRnds 2-3: With B Rnd 13: With ARnd 4: With A Rnds 14-18: With BRnds 5-7: With B Rnd 19: With ARnd 8: With A Rnd 20: With B

Spiral Back

If you enjoyed making the spiral on the front of the pillow, perhaps you’d like to make a spiral for the back as well.

Special thanks to Sharon Pridmore and Elaine Womack for testing this pattern so that I could share it here with everyone!

Materials

Instructions

Note: Unlike the pillow front, the back is worked in multiples of 11 so that we end up with the same final stitch count as the front. Most importantly, as you complete Rnd 1, note that you are only working 7 sts into the magic loop.

Starting April 19, follow along as we crochet this unique pillow over the course of 6 weeks. The Tall ‘n’ Fast Flower Pillow pattern is just one of 15 super cute crochet patterns you’ll find in Squirrel Picnic’s very own The Big Acorn Race. The pattern is a lot easier than it looks and extraordinarily entertaining. Each round takes you on an adventure! And I can’t wait to show you the way.

Each week you’ll receive a pdf newsletter right to your inbox with tips and tricks and detailed tutorial photos to guide you step by step. (Some of these tips and tricks will also be posted to the Big Acorn Race blog each week, so if you’d rather not receive both you can cancel the newsletter at any time by emailing me at squirrelpicnic{at}gmail{dot}com.)

In addition, when you sign up, you’ll be registered to win 1 of 2 yarn-filled prize bags, each containing over 1000 yards of yarn plus crochet-related goodies, which will be given through a random drawing of participants at the end of the 6 weeks. Best of all, you’ll get a personal email from Hodge and Podge, thanking you for your participation.

Sign up by emailing me at squirrelpicnic{at}gmail{dot}com with the words Tall ‘n’ Fast Flower CAL in the subject line. It’s as easy as that!

And now some information to help you decide if this crochet along is right for you…

Difficulty

This project is suitable for crocheters who know basic crochet stitches such as the slip stitch, single crochet, half double crochet, double crochet, and treble crochet, simple increases, and are comfortable with more complicated stitches such as the double-treble crochet and techniques such as crocheting around the post of a stitch and simple color changes.

Materials & Tools

The Tall ‘n’ Fast Flower Pattern calls for Caron Simply Soft Solids. (Feel free to substitute a yarn of your choice.) The amount you need depends on how you choose to crochet the back of the pillow. In the pattern I give you a few different options for how to crochet the back:

Crochet Rnds 1-18 in green and Rnds 19-20 in purple, or

Use the colors of your choice in any order you choose, or

Repeat the instructions for the front to make a back in the flower pattern as well.

Then choose whatever colors you like for the back, keeping in mind that you will need approximately 172 yards total to crochet the back. This is the method I’ll be doing for the CAL, so I’ll be giving you some pointers on this option when we get to it.

3. Flower Pattern for Front and Back

In the pattern, I also give you the option of using the flower pattern (Pillow Front) to make both the front and the back. If you choose this option, you will need the following approximate amounts of each color in Caron Simply Soft Solids: